Democratic resilience in times of autocratization
Tisdag 9 december 2025 10:00 - 11:00 CET M12
Moderator: Marina NordPaneldeltagare: Carl Hartzell, Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Kevin Casas Zamora, Staffan Lindberg
The “third wave of autocratization” has been unfolding for the last 25 years and has reached the United States – one of the major strongholds of democracy in the world. In Europe and beyond, populist radical right-wing parties rise against the core pillars of liberal democracy, paving the way for autocratization. The global trend of autocratization constitutes a game changer for external democracy promotion. The governments of the target countries increasingly resist democracy promotion, citizens are questioning the model of liberal democracy, and economically powerful autocratic powers counteract democracy promotion efforts. Furthermore, democratic backsliding in the countries that promote democracy, most notably the United States, has reduced the political will to engage in democracy promotion, and has damaged the international credibility of this practice. This moderated panel discusses how the global trend of autocratization has changed international democracy promotion efforts, which challenges democracy promoters currently face, how they respond to the global wave of autocratization, and what can be done to protect democracy worldwide.
Arrangör
Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Gothenburg
Ämne
Demokrati
Målgrupp
Civilsamhälle
Tjänstepersoner
Språk
English
Programform
Konferensprogram (60 min)
Nivå: Grund
Föreläsare
Marina Nord Moderator
V-Dem Institute
Marina Nord is a postdoctoral research fellow at the V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, and a member of the research network ‘External Democracy Promotion’. Her research focuses on explaining autocratization and democratization, and interplay between economic processes and political transformation. Before joining the V-Dem Institute, she worked on several research projects at the Hertie School and at the German Institute for Economic Research, where she became passionate about bridging the gap between academic research and policy domains.
Carl Hartzell Paneldeltagare
Carl Hartzell is Deputy Director General and Head of the Department for Multilateral Governance and Humanitarian Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. He took up his current position on 15 June 2023 following an assignment as Senior Adviser for UK Affairs during the Swedish Presidency of the European Union in the first semester of 2023. He has extensive EU experience, including as Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia (2018-2022), Senior Adviser to the President of the European Council Donald Tusk (2014-2018), Adviser/Member of Cabinet of EU High Representatives Catherine Ashton (2012-2013) and Javier Solana (1999-2005), and Senior Adviser to EEAS Deputy Secretary General Helga Schmid (2013-2014). Between 2005-2011 he worked at the Swedish Representation to the EU as Minister Counsellor, Deputy Representative of Sweden to the EU Political and Security Committee, Representative to the EU Politico-Military Group and Member of the Boards of the EUISS and ESDC.
Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli Paneldeltagare
Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli is Head of Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Diplomacy and Deputy Head of the Peace and Human Rights Division at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland. She studied International Relations at the University of St. Gallen, where she also earned her doctorate. Since 1997, she has been employed in the diplomatic service of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). From 2014 to 2017, she served as Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal, also responsible for Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. She subsequently became Deputy Head of the Swiss Embassy in Italy (2017-2021). Between 2021 and 2025, Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli was the Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Since September 2025, she has been Head of Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Diplomacy at the FDFA and additionally Deputy Head of the Peace and Human Rights Division.
Kevin Casas Zamora Paneldeltagare
Kevin Casas Zamora is the Secretary General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). He is also Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy research centre in Washington, D.C. Previously, he was Costa Rica’s Second Vice President and Minister of National Planning; Secretary for Political Affairs at the Organization of American States; Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and National Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report. He holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica, an MA in Government from the University of Essex, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford. Since August 2019, he has been the Secretary General of the International IDEA.
Staffan Lindberg Paneldeltagare
Staffan I. Lindberg is Professor and Director of the V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg; PI of Varieties of Democracy; Wallenberg Academy Fellow alumni; co-author of Varieties of Democracy (CUP 2020), Why Democracies Develop and Decline (CUP 2022) as well as other books and over 70 scientific articles and numerous reports, policy briefs, and think-pieces. He has extensive experience as consultant on development and democracy, and as advisor to international organizations, ministries, and state authorities. Lindberg is the principal author of the annual Democracy Report, the Case for Democracy and numerous policy briefs of the V-Dem Institute.